PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The lines were out the door when a popular Filipino fast-food chain opened its very first Philadelphia location on Friday morning.
The first person to line up for Jollibee, at the Great Northeast Plaza on Bustleton Avenue, arrived at 12:45 a.m.
Soon after, that expectant customer was joined by hundreds more, who were standing outside with the sun beating down on them. Drivers lined up along Bustleton just to get to the drive-thru.
Jollibee is well known for its fried chicken. The first 50 people in line won a free bucket of chicken every month for a year.
For Filipino Americans, like Jen from Willow Grove, there’s a special feeling when they come across a Jollibee
“Every part of the world you go, when you see Jollibee, you feel so at home,” she said. “It makes you feel proud, oh that’s Filipino made.”
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On the menu, there’s a signature Filipino-style spaghetti and a traditional noodle dish, palabok, as well as peach-mango pies. And, of course, there’s the fried chicken — or, as Jollibee fans know it, Chickenjoy.
“The crispness. There’s this taste that you cannot taste in other chicken in America, no,” said Jen.
Before this spot opened up, the nearest Jollibee fix was in Jersey City.
The restaurant may be iconic among Filipino Americans, but Chris Rivera, president of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, says Jollibee’s popularity is widespread.
He estimated half of the people in line were Filipino and half were not — “which is really cool and I think will bode well for the success of this restaurant.”
Having one in Philadelphia is a win for the region, he said.
“We know that, statistically speaking, Filipinos don’t make up a huge chunk of population,” Rivera said. “But knowing that there’s so much interest outside the Filipino community, we’re really excited how this restaurant can really take off.”